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BRONX, NEW YORK, January 28- Sophomores T-Vaughn Gibson (Freeport, Bahamas/Sunland Baptist) and Sean Corley (Harlem, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall) both recorded double-doubles, as the Maritime basketball team overcame a poor shooting afternoon to rattle off its third win in a row on Saturday with a 64-50 home victory over conference-foe St. Joseph’s at the Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium.
The Privateers improve to 4-11 (3-7 Skyline) on the season, while the Golden Eagles fall to 5-13 (3-8 Skyline). The win further improves Maritime’s playoff hopes, as the three conference victories are tied for sixth place, which is the final playoff spot, with eight games remaining.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game today, but we fought through a cold shooting performance to come out with the win,” said head coach Jake Scott. “I was very pleased with our defensive effort. This has been a great week for us and we hope to continue the momentum moving forward.”
Maritime has not won three-straight games since early in the 2010-11 season and it was the first time the Privateers won three-consecutive conference games since 2009-10, when they did it on three separate occasions, including a seven-game Skyline winning streak.
Gibson led all players with 21 points and five steals and also matched the game- and team-high with 12 rebounds. Senior Ron Bethea (Harlem, N.Y./Humanities Prep.) scored 20 points and just missed a double-double with eight rebounds, while Corley notched his team-leading third double-double with 10 points and 12 boards.
The Privateers played a staunch defensive game on the afternoon, holding St. Joseph’s to just 28.1-percent (18-for-64) shooting from the field. Maritime also shot poorly, however, connecting on just 33.3-percent (20-for-60) of its shots.
Maritime was quick to jump on the Golden Eagles off the opening tip, building up an 11-0 lead in the first three minutes and expanding the advantage to 14 points, 20-6, at 9:42. St. Joe’s responded by holding the Privateers off the scoreboard for the next seven-plus minutes to cut the deficit to just seven, 20-13, at 3:01. The Eagles kept chopping away at the lead and brought it down to as little as four points, but Corley hit a fast-break layup as time ticked off to end the half and the Privateers went into the locker room with a 26-20 lead.
In the second half, both teams shot better, but Maritime jumped out to an 11-point lead, 37-26, after two good free throws by Bethea at 14:17. St. Joseph’s scored nine-straight points (including six from sophomore Will Fortune) to cut the deficit to just two points with 4:48 to play, but a 14-2 run by the Privateers killed the momentum and secured the home victory.
Junior Cody Lohsen scored a team-high 12 points and brought down nine rebounds to lead St. Joseph’s, while Fortune and junior Phil Calixte ended the night with 11 points, apiece.
Maritime is back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 29, when the squad will travel to Farmingdale St. to take on the Rams at 7 p.m. at the Nold Hall Gymnasium on their campus in Farmingdale, N.Y.
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